For the longest time I would not share any of my family recipes…at all. When people would ask, I would always say no. I felt like I was protecting part of my heritage – these were recipes from my Mamaw and Mama – why should I share them with someone else? Go get your own recipe and leave me alone! It’s MINE! All mine! *Insert crazy, insane laughter here*

And let me just be honest here…I like that people enjoy my cooking. The thought that I would give someone a family recipe so that they could make it themselves didn’t sit well with me – it would mean it was their recipe now and I would no longer get praised for it since they could make it. Man, what a big ole fat head I have. I’m surprised I can fit it through the door. [Read more…]

Let’s be honest…there are times when I’m just lazy. I might run out of Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup and be too busy to make more…or too lazy. I try to always keep some in the freezer, but sometimes I run out. I know it’s quick and easy to whip up a batch, but I’ll be honest again. If I see a recipe that calls for it and I know I have to make some because I’m out – I pretty much nix that recipe. Can I get a witness?!

While I just love cooking, and don’t mind making the homemade cream of soup, sometimes I just can’t get around to it…and for those times, there is this lovely stand-in made with dried ingredients. Having this in the cabinet makes me feel like I can conquer any cream-of recipe! It also makes me feel like I need a casserole – casseroles are where it’s at. [Read more…]

Y’all ask me all the time, “Hey Stacy, can you give me a good list of freezer meals?” The truth is, I don’t have such a list. Here’s how freezing food works for me – I make it and then I freeze it. I don’t really do too much advance planning.

I don’t seek out special meals that are just for freezing – I just use my normal recipes and make them work. BUT if you are looking for freezer specific meals, you need to check out Once a Month Mom – one of my favorite recipe sites.

So, you say, how DO you make that meal work for the freezer, Miss Stacy? Well, I’ll tell ya….over at Intentional by Grace. I’m over there sharing how I freeze meals and I’ll give you a list of some good ones to try.

If you want to know how to freeze bread (baked or in dough form) or if you want to turn your crock pot meal into a freezer meal, I’ve got you covered.

Meet me over there…if for no other reason than you like to look at pretty pictures of food. *Slobber*

Everyone has “go-to” recipes…things they make over and over because they’re sooooooooooooooo good. Or maybe you’re like me and you get on a kick and you make that same food over and over because it was so good the first time, you just gotta have it again.

But then, there comes the problem of The Rut. The Rut is when your family says “Oh…spaghetti again?” Or “Mom, can we please have something besides meatloaf?” The Rut is a dangerous place to be – because you can lose your love of cooking all together. And that, my friends, is a saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad day.

So, if you’re in The Rut I wanted to make sure and help you dig out. I want to share several of my very favorite recipes from other sites…so you can try them too. You MUST try them too – I would not lead you astray. [Read more…]

**I know I normally post a crock pot recipe on Friday, but my scheduled poster and friend, Rachel, had a recent tragedy and was unable to be with us. I would ask that you say a special prayer for her today. Thanks.**

Last year I had the honor of making a new friend – LeighAnn from Intentional by Grace. She has blessed me in thousands of ways. I know without a shadow of a doubt God matched us up as friends – we’re so alike, but so different. She keeps me in check. She tells me when I’m being dumb…and I’m dumb a lot.

She invited my family to come spend the weekend with her family and we had a fabulous time! She’s exactly the same in person as she is online. And then she went and did something crazy. She moved to Colorado. But that’s okay – I still love her…and I also love her new book!

I’m going through a time in life where meal times are crazy. I used to be a meal planning fanatic, but after we sold the townhouse, moved in with mom, and bought a new house to remodel, things haven’t gone very smoothly. Sometimes I freak out at 5pm when I realize I forgot that dinner was coming. Uhhh, oops?

Enter 20 Minute Meals. LeighAnn has created a cookbook for the weary chef…the mother who is busy…the wife who works…the pregnant woman who loses her mind and forgets that she needs to feed her family dinner every night. [Read more…]

A Year Later

So, it’s been about a year now that our family has been on this “whole foods” journey. We started out just eliminating all the processed food I was buying – then I got into more deep things like healthy fats and natural sweeteners. I’ve kept some things and I’ve ditched some things. I’ve read and watched movies until I was blue in the face and about to lose my mind.

Here’s something you might not know – everything is bad for you. Some people say “eat all the veggies you can!” Others say “watch out for those veggies…if they’re not organic, they can kill you.” Some people say “eat butter!” Others say “don’t eat butter if you don’t personally know the cow that it came from.”

About three months ago, I unsubscribed from most of the whole foods blogs that I was reading. They were NOT encouraging…they were only stressing me out and making me feel like a complete failure. There was NO WAY I could measure up to most of those blogs. [Read more…]

Guys, I know that switching to real foods can be overwhelming. How do I know? Because I’m still on that journey myself. Just last March I felt like I was drowning in all the information that was coming my way. What on earth was I going to cook for my family if I couldn’t use my convenience foods? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

But, the fabulous ladies from the Modern Alternative Mama writing team have put together a cookbook just for you – Real Food Real Easy. I contributed several recipes to the book. I know it’s going to be a GREAT resource for you!

If cooking traditional foods seems overwhelming to you, then this is the cookbook for you. If you’ve been cooking traditional foods for a while and need some new recipes, this is the book for you too! [Read more…]

These days, everyone is looking to cut costs…I’m always looking where to save money and cut costs, so I like this turn of events. Makes me seem more popular. Ha! I’ve been asked exactly how I operate in the kitchen to keep costs down and keep my budget on target. It’s really not that hard, it just takes a bit of thought and effort. I’m going to give you 10 easy ways that you can cut costs in your kitchen too. Chances are, you’re already doing most of these things but you just haven’t thought of them as being “frugal.” You may just need to change your mindset.

1. Use leftovers. This is almost like a “daily duh” that I post on Facebook, but you’d be surprised at how many people just don’t use their leftovers. They make too much for dinner, put the rest in the fridge and it stays in there until it grows mold. That’s money down the drain. Make plans for those leftovers – they make a great next-day lunch. If your family hates leftovers, freeze what you have left and bring it out again later for a “new” meal. Trickery works sometimes. [Read more…]

I recently read a book about hospitality called Face to Face: Meditations on Friendship and Hospitality. It was an excellent read and one I would recommend to anyone. It really kicked me in the tail. While I have a heart for hospitality in general, sometimes I find myself lacking in that area – even though it is referred to several times in the New Testament. Why do I struggle? Well, let’s be honest – whole foods aren’t cheap. I buy the good stuff now….so sometimes I want to hoard it for myself and my family. Sometimes it’s hard to use my coconut oil on someone who might not care. But here’s the thing…..it doesn’t matter if they care. What matters is that I’m showing love to them and filling their tummy. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35 Hospitality is showing love to your Christian brothers and sisters by filling their tummy and making them a part of your home.

Most people struggle with the same thing I do – the money part. If you’re strapped for cash when feeding your own family, how can you feed other people? The answer is simple – hospitality doesn’t have to break the bank. The thought that hospitality is expensive is a LIE. Hospitality is sharing what you have with someone else – giving of yourself and your abundance. As Barry has said before, if you hold your money in a closed fist, it surely won’t leave……but nothing can get in either. Sharing what you have will fill you up with joy and fulfillment. And here’s how to do it without spending a fortune. [Read more…]

I made my very first homemade eggnog this season. I usually buy it from the store so we can each have a cup…..and only a cup. It’s RICH – and I don’t mean like Donald Trump. And honestly, I didn’t really like it that much – I just wanted to drink eggnog. It makes me feel cool. But then I came across this recipe from The Purposed Heart for Pumpkin Eggnog and it ROCKS MY FACE OFF! Seriously – it’s delicious. The stuff in the store doesn’t even compare – and plus, if you make this then you’ll know what’s in it….instead of the mysterious “natural flavoring.” What the heck is natural flavoring anyway? Do yourself a favor and make this. You’ll love it. [Read more…]

I believe God created you to be the hero of your home. You CAN manage your home instead of it managing you. That’s why I empower women with simple solutions for their homemaking needs – because if it’s not easy, you won’t do it. {Read More…}

Unfortunately, before the government will let me send you anything, you’ll need to check your email for a message I just sent you and confirm your subscription. This will also make sure you get the handy-dandy, free resource I promised.